Countdown to Star Wars Episode VII

(image courtesy of thebrickfan.com)

The countdown to Star Wars Episode VII:  The Force Awakens, which will be released December 18, 2015, has officially begun on this page. I will be discussing, briefly, over a period of time,  the various elements related to the Star Wars saga that begun in 1977, when Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope premiered, and how influential it has been for the birth of the blockbuster era. I never grew up in the Star Wars era. I heard about it while growing up and only when I seriously begun doing research about movies did I  truly discover it. Now I realize fully the impact the saga had on popular culture and how its influence is all pervasive. I grew up in a time when Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999) was treated like the 2^nd coming. I didn’t like that film and it further distanced me from the series until I later watched Episode IV: A New Hope. Watching A New Hope really set me straight and it is now one of my favorite films. I will discuss this later. Only to say that I  am fully on board. Obviously I grew up in the age of The Lord of the Rings, The Dark Knight Trilogy  Harry Potter and the host of Marvel films divided into 3 phases. These films utilized the blockbuster formula, developed by Star Wars in 1977, effectively and are still very popular and have generated several spin offs because they have strong mythologies or histories  and include a diverse list of characters.

Well if one bears in mind the enormous influence of the Star Wars saga and the amount of money the upcoming Episode VII is expected to make just on the strength of the it's legacy, then it does merit a lot of discussion.  It won’t be a very structured discussion just random bits that will place some things into perspective, particularly from my perspective, about the saga.

Pt 1 Darth Vader and Bane

(image courtesy of hypable.com)

Darth Vader is one of the great all time villains and Bane is his progeny. Darth Vader is so great that his story pervaded the two Star Wars trilogies. The first trilogy (Episodes IV-VI) demonstrates how Vader is the principal enforcer  for the Empire and the second (I-III) shows how integral Anakin Skywalker (who eventually became Vader) was in the formation of the Empire.  Bane was a very effective villain in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) but Christopher Nolan, the director, clearly stated that his portrayal was influenced to some extent  by Vader. Well we didn’t need Nolan to tell us that.  From the way he breathes and talks through his mask and the extent of injuries that shaped how he is portrayed, Bane is clearly Vader’s progeny.  

Physically Bane is clearly modeled off Vader but what about his approach as a villain. Bane is closer to Vader in The Empire Strikes Back because of how he treats his subordinates. In The Empire Strikes Back  Vader does not hesitate to kill his subordinates  because of their incompetence. Bane has a similar approach when he kills two henchmen who brought the battered Commissioner, James Gordon, to the hide out of the League of Shadows in the sewers of Gotham City right below Wayne tower.  It is clear that both Vader and Bane do not tolerate incompetence and this reflects the confidence they have in carrying out their respective missions.  Bane and Vader are both enforcers and not leaders. Bane carries out the plans of his leader Talia, leader of the league of shadows, and Vader carries out the plans of the Emperor.  Both are second in command but they have a dominant presence.  This goes to show that every leader needs an enforcer. The enforcer is the man of action that will ensure that a particular plan is implemented. The  vision or plan of the leader would not be possible without the enforcer(s). This is very important as Bane is responsible for taking out Batman and taking charge of the city. Talia could not do that as effectively as  the physically imposing and dominant  figure of Bane although she is still the mastermind. Similarly the emperor that Vader serves is not physically imposing. He is a man in physical decline although he does  have considerable power. The Emperor is clearly the mastermind and has considerable influence over Vader. Talia also has considerable influence over Bane because of his love for her.  Both are grateful for the benevolence shown to them by their leaders.

Both Bane and Vader are very confident in their abilities. They have a habit of talking down to their opponent during a fight.  Bane did this in his first fight with the Batman and Vader did it on several occasions when he fought Obi Wan and Luke.

Both Bane and Vader are eventually  treated with some sympathy and understanding. Instead of seeing Bane as just a physically imposing figure and dominant personality we get to understand the circumstance that shaped him  such as his life in the pit where he suffered horrific injuries in order to secure Talia’s freedom. We eventually get to understand how Vader was turned by giving in to the dark side of the force and how he again changed towards the end in The Return of the Jedi to save Luke.  Saving Luke was an act of love which was quite uncharacteristic of how Vader  normally carried himself.

There are some differences however. Bane sticks to his belief system. He is much more rigid in his opposition to Batman whereas Vader does come to his senses when he demonstrates his love for Luke and goes back to the side of the Jedi. Vader does have some internal struggle whereas Bane is presented  strictly as a villain. Bane is physically imposing and does not rely on gadgets like light sabers or the force.  Bane also likes to engage himself in battle alongside his subordinates. Vader was more likely to let the subordinates do the work while he oversees events or comes after all the damage is done to make an assessment of the situation. In Episode IV Vader does lead a group of air fighters against the rebel air force that sought to exploit the weakness in the Death Star ship. However, only in one on one battle does Vader truly demonstrate his abilities.  He is more likely to rely on his subordinates than Bane and this coincides with the kind of position held by Vader in the large Empire when compared with the admirals and generals below him.  Vader is more like a Prime Minister than a general or admiral, especially in The Empire Strikes Back whereas Bane acts more like a general.  

Their cause is  different. Bane along with Talia are trying to reassert the authority of the League of Shadows against batman and so carry out the plan of the deceased Ras Al Ghul  to destroy Gotham city.  This is why Bane acts more like a revolutionary until one becomes aware of the plan to destroy Gotham. Vader on the other hand is responsible for maintaining order in a vast Empire that is long established. He has to deal primarily with the rebel force that seeks to topple the Empire. Initially Bane gives the impression to the citizens of Gotham that he is leading some sort of revolution.  

I just presented some similarities and differences. I welcome feedback on this topic but there is enough material to suggest that Bane is clearly influenced by Vader in terms of his physical make up and in his approach as a villain. This also speaks to the greatness of the Star wars saga that produced such an effective villain in the form of Vader. It will be interesting to see how the next trilogy of Star Wars films get by without his presence.